Bield:Hunt
Acorn & mast crop

Arizona mast crop reports.

2025 overallUnknown

Arizona deer hunting is dominated by mule deer with limited Coues whitetail in the southeastern sky islands. Oak mast — primarily Emory oak and Arizona white oak in the higher elevations — matters most to Coues whitetail in the Chiricahua, Galiuro, and Pinaleño ranges. Statewide acorn data is limited; check elevation-specific scouting reports.

Other Hard MastPinyon

Multi-year trend

Categorical ratings (failure → excellent) per year. Overall is solid; white oak and red oak series are dashed.

YearOverallWhite OakRed Oak
2022fairfairfair
2023fairfairfair
2024fairfairfair
2025unknownunknownunknown

Yearly reports

Most recent first. Click through to a year-specific page for a permanent reference link.

2025

Annual mast report
OverallUnknown
White OakUnknown
Red OakUnknown
Other MastUnknown
Regional notes

No comprehensive statewide mast survey published for 2025 yet.

Hunter implication

Crop quality not yet documented for this year. Check the linked agency source for the most current published survey, and scout productive oaks directly when in the field.

2024

Annual mast report
OverallFair
White OakFair
Red OakFair
Other MastFair
Regional notes

Mixed — wetter monsoon supported mast in some sky-island ranges.

Hunter implication

Mixed conditions — some areas with productive oaks, others without. Scout for the pockets that produced and hunt the travel routes between bedding and mast. Plots and ag fields still hold deer where mast failed.

2023

Annual mast report
OverallFair
White OakFair
Red OakFair
Other MastFair
Regional notes

Southwest drought-driven mast variation; conditions varied widely by elevation and aspect.

Hunter implication

Mixed conditions — some areas with productive oaks, others without. Scout for the pockets that produced and hunt the travel routes between bedding and mast. Plots and ag fields still hold deer where mast failed.

2022

Annual mast report
OverallFair
White OakFair
Red OakFair
Other MastFair
Regional notes

Sky-island oaks produced moderately; pinyon mast strong in northern Arizona.

Hunter implication

Mixed conditions — some areas with productive oaks, others without. Scout for the pockets that produced and hunt the travel routes between bedding and mast. Plots and ag fields still hold deer where mast failed.

How to hunt a unknown mast year in Arizona

Without a current mast read, lean on travel-corridor and food-plot setups while you scout for productive oaks in the field.

Primary source

USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory & Analysis FIA forest inventory plots; Continuous national inventory.

USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory & Analysis

Always cross-reference with the most current published agency report. Mast surveys update annually in late summer to early fall.

Scout mast locations on your map.

Statewide mast reports tell you what to expect in general. Bield: Hunt logs every productive oak you find on your specific land — and turns multi-season data into stand sites that compound year after year.